Soulless Weapon's Remorse
by Wolf no naku koro ni
Summary: The Diclonius is the worst mistake the DWMA made. After it awakens from it's 13-year sleep, it will kill everyone. However, when Kid sees it's just a girl, he keeps her safe with the idea that he can reform her. Things change as she begins to develop her own soul. However, she become mysteriously remorseful towards Kid, and he's out to find out why.
1. Chapter 1

** I do not own Soul Eater or any other anime referred to in this fanfiction.**

The sun was setting over the quieting streets of Death City, and the laughing crescent moon began to climb to the sky. The hallways of the Death Weapon Meister Academy were unusually quiet. At this time of day, most of the staff would have gone home, but students in detention and a teacher or so would have remained. However, it felt like the entire school had been emptied for this particular night. An ominous presence dwelt between the walls.

"You wanted to see me?"

The voice echoed through the hallways, originating from the Death Room. It was Death the Kid, talking to his father, Lord Death himself. Lord Death, Professor Franken Stein, Kid and his weapons, and Death Scythe were all gathered in the school, and, at the time, it felt as if they were the only beings there.

"Kid, Liz, Patti," Lord Death greeted exuberantly. "I'm glad you could all come."

"What's going on?" Liz asked. "No one else is here."

"We had the school evacuated," the Grim Reaper explained nonchalantly. "We wouldn't want anybody to get hurt…."

"Hurt by what?" Kid pressed, narrowing his eyes.

Lord Death hesitated, making Kid even more suspicious. Stein was the one to explain.

"The worst mistake the DWMA has ever made was an experiment called the Diclonius."

"An experiment?"

"Not entirely my fault," Stein said, turning the screw in his head. "Well… sort of."

"A few years ago," Lord Death said quietly. "I thought if I could make an unassailable creature without a soul, then there would be no problems with loyalties and such. It was a complicated idea, but anyway, the creation of the creature was a success, however…."

"Did it become a Keshen?" Liz asked.

"No, actually, since it had no soul, it couldn't become a corrupted being such as the Keshen," Death Scythe pitched in. "But without emotion, it had no thoughts of what was right or wrong. It killed innocent people for seemingly no reason." He paused, biting his lip.

"It will be awakening from its thirteen-year slumber soon," Lord Death told them. "We have to fight it until Stein can put it to sleep once more."

"Why can't you just kill it now? I'm sure with Maka and the others…."

"Absolutely not," Lord Death growled. Kid was startled. Lord Death's aggression melted away as soon as it came. "It was created to be invincible; I don't want any students getting torn apart like insects. The Diclonius is trapped in a dark cell deep within the DWMA. The rest of the staff is already down there, waiting for it."

Meanwhile, deep within the DWMA, there was a room dimly lit by electric lights across a patch of floor that surrounded a humanoid being wrapped in a straightjacket. The Diclonius was bound and suspended in the air with many leather straps; a helmet of metal covered its head so it couldn't see. Two Meisters and their Weapon partners surrounded it, tensed for battle and breathing heavily in anxiety. The weapon began to stir. It turned blindly to the first one, who mysteriously ripped into several pieces.

"NO!" the other Meister cried, slashing his sword at the Diclonius in panic.

The leather bindings on the weapon dropped, and the Diclonius floated gently to its feet on the floor. With hardly any effort at all, the Diclonius mysteriously killed the other Meister in a similar fashion. Blood and organs sprayed in a small explosion from the sight, faintly staining the Diclonius's white clothing. It didn't seem to care. It continued walking out of the high-security doors without a glance at the bloodshed.

Kid was waiting outside of the last metal door. He could hear intense screaming and the squeal of bending metal on the other side. He gripped the handles of his two weapons; he was ready to face whatever this thing was. The metal door creaked open, revealing a scrawny figure in a torn, floor-length straightjacket. Kid immediately opened fire at the weapon. The pathetic-looking Diclonius somehow deflected all of his compressed soul wavelengths as if there were an invisible shield in front of it.

"What is this, exactly?" Kid thought. "Some kind of strong telepathic power? Let's see… Dad told me not to get within two meters of her, so it could be short-range."

"Kid, are you even seeing this?!" Liz demanded.

"It's not working," Patti added.

"I know, I don't have much to go on," Kid argued. "Just focus; don't let her gain any ground before my father gets here."

The shield seemed to falter as one of Kid's wavelengths made contact with the Diclonius's arm. He grinned defiantly and aimed at her neck next. The Diclonius twitched, lowering its head slightly. The soul wavelength deflected the helmet, sending it flying backwards to reveal a sheath of pink hair and two spiraling black goat horns sticking out of its head. It was then that Kid realized that they were fighting a girl. She had a soft face and brown eyes.

Once the Diclonius saw whom she was fighting, her face contorted into a mask of what can only be described as fear and guilt. For some reason, she no longer wanted to fight Death the Kid; she fell to her knees and put her arms over her head in defeat.

Something about her made Kid smile. Maybe it was her symmetry; each horn spiraled the exact same length and shape. He lowered his weapons in obvious surrender. Liz and Patti gasped as their Meister set them on the ground at his feet before walking calmly over to the Diclonius.

"Kid, what are you DOING?!" Liz cried.

"Don't, it's dangerous!" Patti screamed.

Kid continued towards the girl, kneeling beside her. He put one hand on her back, and she opened her eyes.

"Hey," he murmured. "Come on; I'll make sure you're taken care of."

Soul Eater

"You want to keep her?!" Lord Death asked, shaken.

"Yes," Kid said. "I'm thinking that if I can reform her, she can be taught right from wrong."

"You think she can develop a soul of her own, do you?"

"She had fear on her face," Kid said. "She is capable of emotion, I just know it. I can help her."

"You never realize how dangerous these things are," Lord Death muttered with a sigh. "Do you remember when you made your skateboard out of shards of Beelzebub?"

"A little," Kid replied. "What about it?"

"I insisted against it for fear that you might get hurt, but in the end, my say on the matter was ignored. You were fine, of course, but…."

"I know you're concerned about my safety, but I intend to go through with my plan," Kid said. "I'll be fine."

"Kid, making a skateboard is one thing, but do you even know where to begin this time?"

"Actually… no," Kid admitted. "Now that I think about it, I don't know anything about how to do this. Is there anything else important you want to tell me about her?"

"She has four invisible arms that can reach two meters each. I want you to be careful, son. Even as a Grim Reaper, your body is a twig compared to the power of those vectors."

"Vectors," Kid thought. "No wonder."

"Well, I'll be going now," Kid said, turning his back and walking out of the room. Lord Death gazed after him.

"Maybe he doesn't remember," he thought. "Oh well."

** That is the end of chapter one! Yay! I got the ideas for the Diclonius from Elfen Lied, and I'm sure there will be many references to it later. I won't be able to upload very frequently because I'm going to my grandma's, and the internet situations vary. I will try to upload diligently nonetheless.**


	2. Chapter 2

Kid met up with Liz and Patti at the front entrance of the school. "Are you ready to go home now?"

"Tired," Patti yawned, leaning against her twin sister.

"Come on, then," Kid said. He glanced at the Diclonius, who stood emotionlessly by his side. "Has she done anything?"

"Not really," Liz replied. "She's just kind of stood there. Guess that's normal if you don't have a soul."

Kid nodded and began walking. The Diclonius began walking silently behind them, following like a servant or something. Kid studied her face, but all signs of emotion were gone from the creature.

"That's kind of creepy," Liz shivered, cringing.

Flander: Creeptastic Killing Machine or What?

"We need to think of a name for her," Kid said.

"What?!"

"She can't walk around without a name, so I'll have to come up with one myself," Kid explained smoothly. He sighed. "How about Flander?"

"Like Flandre Scarlet from Touhou project?" Liz squeaked. "Nice one, Kid, but I don't think so."  
"I think she likes it," Kid defended himself.

"I don't think she can understand," Patti said. "You know, since she doesn't have a soul and everything…."

Flander looked up at the black mansion that they were approaching. She vaguely remembered this place….

"Flander," Kid addressed. She immediately looked at him. "See, Liz? She understands. Let's go inside."

Once inside the mansion, Kid took a good look at the Diclonius. Her pink hair was long enough to drag across the floor, and her torn clothes were A-symmetrical and bloodied. He let his gaze wander to the black goat horns on her skull again. Why would she have horns like that?

"Liz, Patti, could you help her clean up?" Kid suggested. "You could dress her in some of your old clothes and cut her hair while you're at it."

"Okay, Kid," Liz nodded disinterestedly.

"Okay, Kid!" Patti cheered at the same time, raising both of her hands in enthusiasm. Behind her, Flander raised her hands in the same way. "Come on, Flander!"

The two sisters lead her upstairs to the bathroom. Patti began running a bath whilst Liz searched the cabinets for clothes and towels. Flander sat on the counter calmly as Liz pulled her straightjacket off over her head.

"Patti, don't you think that's enough bubbles for now?" Liz asked, sweat-dropping as Patti paused in pouring cohesive bubble bath into the running water. Patti looked up and grinned, setting the bottle on the edge of the bath tub. Flander shifted her bland gaze to the pink bottle, and one of her vectors reached out to knock it on its side. The sisters glanced at the bottle and turned curiously at the Diclonius.

"Did she just pour more bubble bath in?" Liz asked. Patti began to laugh hysterically.

Downstairs, Kid was preparing dinner. He was cutting onions into precisely one-inch pieces, listening intently for the sounds of screams or crashes. He caught himself and exhaled.

"Calm down," he told himself. "Nothing will go wrong."

"We're ready, Kid!" Patti squealed. Kid jumped in surprise. The knife in his hand slipped and he cut his finger.

"Kid!" Liz cried, running to his side immediately. She took his hand, examining the damage done. Patti went to his side too.

"Kid, you're hurt!" she whimpered, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"It's alright, Patti," he responded reassuringly, smoothing her hair. "It's just a small cut. I'm fine."

Patti sniffled and nodded, smiling again. Kid smirked.

"Where's Flander?" he asked Liz, who pointed to the doorway. Flander's pink hair was cut to her waist, and she was wearing one of Patti's old black dresses. Kid smiled at her. "That's better. Perfectly symmetrical."

"That's what you were worried about?" Liz asked. "Whatever. Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm almost done. Why don't you show Flander to the dinner table?"

Over dinner, Kid tried making conversation with Flander, but soon realized that the Diclonius couldn't talk. She was also very hungry. It all would make sense; she'd been asleep for thirteen years, so she hadn't gotten a haircut or a decent meal.

"Why did you want a human when there are other alternatives?" Kid had asked his father as they'd spoke over the matter.

"I wanted a weapon that functions like all the other weapons," Lord Death explained with a wave of his hand. "She eats and sleeps just like a normal human. However, her age pattern was thrown when she was put to sleep. She was created with the body a few years less mature than her current state."

"I have a feeling that he's not telling me something again," Kid thought as he reached for another serving of food. Across the table, Flander snarled at him and got to her feet. One of her vectors wrapped around Kid's wrist, throwing him backwards.

"Kid!" Liz and Patti shouted, rushing to either side of their Meister. Kid sat up shakily, gripping his wrist in pain. He looked up at Flander, who was eating ravenously.

"Lay off, Flander!" Liz yelled. "If you wanted more, you should have just said so!"

"It's okay, Liz, I'm fine," Kid said darkly, getting to his feet.

"Kid," Patti whispered as he left the room.

Later that night, Kid was almost asleep in his bed. They had a test tomorrow, so he wanted to get at least eight hours of sleep. He was about to lose consciousness when he noticed a strangely shaped shadow in the corner of his room. He stiffened; Flander was watching him. He tried to go back to sleep, but the idea of the soulless Diclonius's eyes on him made him hyper and tense.

Why wasn't she asleep in her own bed? She had her own room. Was she afraid of being alone? No, wait… she'd been asleep for thirteen years. She's not going to sleep any time soon.

Soul Eater

"So tired…" Kid whispered the next day at school.

"Hey, Kid," Liz said. "What's up? You're not usually this tired in school."

"She was watching me all night," Kid explained, trying to stifle a yawn. "I hardly got any sleep at all."

"That sucks for you," Liz sighed.

"Maybe she wanted to apologize," Patti suggested.

"So, it sounds like someone else is living with you now, huh?" Blackstar asked, leaning over the desk behind them. "Who is it?"

"Stop chit chatting; class has already begun," Stein warned, throwing a scalpel in their general direction. "Now, you may begin the test now. You have one hour to complete it. I warn you, if you cheat, I will dissect you after class."

"I sure hope Kid can write his name this time," Liz thought, glancing at her partner. She sweat-dropped when she saw he was sleeping with his head on the desk. On his other side, Patti began laughing.

"I can't believe I slept the entire time," Kid thought as they were leaving the school building.

"Well, we didn't want to wake you up," Liz defended herself. "It looked like you needed it."

"Probably why Stein didn't bother saying anything," Tsubaki agreed. "Why didn't you get any sleep anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

"Who's that?" Blackstar asked, pointing to a figure walking towards them. "Whoever it is, I think she's looking for you, Kid."

"Flander?" Kid asked. "What are you doing here?" Flander paused in front of them wordlessly.

"That's weird," Blackstar said. "Why does she have horns like that?"

"Blackstar," Tsubaki sighed.

"Oh, well, since you're both so intrigued," Kid sighed, turning to the others. "This is Flander…."

As Kid went on explaining the structure of the Diclonius, Flander let her eyes wander. As obedient as she was, she was still a killing weapon. A woman was walking her dog across the street. The dog began barking as two vectors levitated forward.

"Flander, don't!" Kid cried, pushing her to the ground instinctively. Flander paused; did he really try to save this stranger from death? "Leave them alone."

Flander recoiled obediently, resuming her not even bored facade. Kid blushed and got to his feet.

"I guess I have to keep you at home for now," Kid sighed.

"What was that all about?" Blackstar asked.

"She tried to kill them," Liz replied, watching the woman walk away obliviously.

"Seriously? That's so uncool! They weren't even doing anything to her."

"Stop talking about her like she can't hear you," Kid said. "She may not have her own opinions, but she has complete understanding of what is said."

"Then why doesn't she say anything?" Tsubaki asked after a pause.

"I suppose that is a concern," Kid said.

"Kid, are you sure you can handle this?" Tsubaki asked. "I'm not even sure it's possible to create a soul like that."

"It won't be easy," Kid admitted. "But I know she has it in her to feel something. Besides, what other choice do I have? If I fail, she'll die."

Later that night, Liz and Patti were trying to teach Flander what emotion was. Kid was taking a break from the teaching that was obviously getting them nowhere, and began practicing on the piano in the music room. He was just about to finish when he saw Flander in the doorway. He got to his feet, startled. Flander's lips began to move as if she were trying to say something.

"What's wrong, Flander?" Kid asked, approaching her cautiously. Behind him, the piano began to play slowly. He glanced back to figure out that Flander was playing with her vectors. He smiled and reached out a hand to her. "Come on, I'll teach you."

It was clear she didn't need to be taught. She had learnt from her few seconds of observing how to play, and within minutes she was playing Bad Apple by ZUN. Kid smirked; she learned from example, not words. Like a child. This could be valuable in their mission.

** I know it's kind of random, but the chapters will shape up in the future, I promise. I'm at my grandma's so I won't be able to type and upload a million chapters a day, but I will continue typing as much as I can. Stay classy, my viewers, and don't change for anybody! (Ah, Dan, luv your advice :D)**


	3. Chapter 3

Kid was alone in the dark streets of Death City. Oddly familiar screams echoed off the walls and buildings. He was running, trying to find his weapons. He paused at a street corner where he met Flander.

"Flander, what are you doing here?" he asked, reaching a hand forward to touch her face.

He pulled back immediately when he felt something warm and wet dripping from her horns. The red blood on his hand seeped onto the pavement. Kid gasped and looked around. Dead bodies of his friends, relatives, and complete strangers covered the ground in assorted piles. Kid looked back at Flander, who merely smiled and mouthed the words, "It's more symmetrical this way."

Kid jolted upright from where he was lying in bed, sweat dripping from his bangs. He inhaled slowly, trying to calm his pounding heart, when he glanced at Flander. She was still in his room, but she had occupied herself by reading one of his books. Kid glanced at the clock; it was only six, which was too early to wake anyone up. However, he didn't see much point in going back to sleep, so he rolled out of bed and went downstairs. Flander followed him like a little duck.

Kid decided to make some breakfast; it would distract him for sure. He pulled a few things out of the cabinets to make some waffles for everyone. As he poured the flour and milk into the mixing bowl, he was oblivious to Flander copying his every move behind him. She mimicked the precise angle of Kid's wrist as he tipped the measuring cups over the edge of the bowl. Kid glanced behind him before continuing. Flander continued imitating him by cradling an invisible bowl and whisking it rapidly with her fist.

"I see you," Kid said nonchalantly. Flander's hands flew to her sides immediately. Kid put the utensils down. "You're so cute when you do that," he alleged, reaching one hand forward to stroke her hair. Flander tensed, the distinct emotion of fear and guilt reappearing in her eyes again.

** "Aw, you're such a cute guardian for Kid," she said as she put one hand in my fluffy pink hair.**

Flander snarled viciously, her vectors darting in all directions around him before he could blink. She was her cold, emotionless self that she was when she awoke. The next thing he knew, he was against the opposite wall, shaking from an increasing pain all over his body. He couldn't move; he realized he was bound by Flander's vectors. He looked up at her with a simple expression.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "If I made you upset."

Flander pulled away in the surprise that was written on her face. She put her hands on either of her black horns and looked down. Her vectors retracted and she resumed her previous state of emotionless apathy.

Kid's Injury; A Weapon That Failed to Protect Him?

"Kid, you're up early," Liz greeted as she walked in. Kid stopped what he was doing and looked up. Flander did the same.

"I was just making breakfast for everybody," he explained.

"Oh, cool!" Patti squealed, skipping into the room. "What are you making?"

All three of them looked over his shoulder to see… eight perfectly symmetrical waffles. Flander began clapping emotionlessly as if she was previously oblivious to what they had been doing.

"Wow," Patti breathed.

"I never thought that his OCD could actually make breakfast," Liz agreed.

"Do you want some more?" Kid asked Flander. The Diclonius nodded and put her plate forward. Kid smiled in approval and gave her the rest of the waffles.

"She's starting to learn, huh, Patti?" Liz remarked. Patti nodded enthusiastically. "What do you think, Kid?"

"Well, she's starting to learn right from wrong," he agreed. "She still needs to learn how to feel emotion. It's time for her to stop living from example."

"Even so, I think that she's made a lot of progress for the short week she's spent here," Liz continued as she got to her feet. "Let's go to school; you've already checked the house for Flander-proof symmetry."

"We'll be back soon, Flander, okay?" Kid said as they walked out the door. Flander stared after them and exhaled quietly.

"Chii," she whispered.

"She's learning," Kid told his father after school. "She learns by example, and she already knows how to behave. It's all a matter of motivating her."

"I'm so proud of you, Kiddo," he said cheerfully. "In that supportive I'm-glad-you-didn't-die way."

He couldn't help himself from pulling Kid into a loose hug. Kid usually just goes a little limp and puts up with it, but today, he cried out in agony and pulled away. He wrapped his arms around himself, trembling violently.

"Kid, what's wrong?" Liz demanded, putting a hand out to help him.

Lord Death's expression became somber. "She hurt you, didn't she?"

Kid swallowed and nodded. With shaking fingers, he unbuttoned his jacket and shirt, pulling them down off his shoulders. Blue and violet bruises covered his arms and torso. He turned around and pulled his shirt down a little further, revealing several black hand-prints on his delicate white skin. Patti inhaled sharply, her eyes clouding over.

"What happened to you?" Liz asked.

"Kid," Lord Death spoke.

"I know, Dad," Kid said, replacing his shirt. "But I can't give up on her yet. We're so close."

"What am I going to do with you?" Lord Death sighed. "You won't give up on what's justly right. You're becoming a great Grim Reaper already. Now, go see Stein; he'll treat your wounds."

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Kid inquired. "I don't want to be a bother. Besides, he's busy enough with the number of injured people lately."

"That's not my problem," Lord Death said. "It's your fault for letting Flander run wild. Now, have a good day, you three!"

Soul Eater

"You're shaking," Stein noted as he poured peroxide over Kid's shoulders.

"It hurts," Kid admitted quietly.

"Indeed; the Diclonius attacks are far more potent than that of a normal weapon. I'm sure this is just post-traumatic shock."

"Well, other than that, am I healthy?" Kid asked, turning around. Stein gave him a stern look. "I know my father didn't send me here to get my wounds treated. Flander was created to do a lot more damage than this."

"He did it to protect you," Stein mumbled, the overhead lights reflecting off of his glasses to shield his eyes from view. "After you were born, your mother couldn't protect the both of you when Lord Death wasn't there. She was blinded by her love for you and made poor choices. Lord Death wanted to create a weapon that could protect you both. However… it backfired and Flander had to be trapped."

"What happened?" Kid asked.

"You don't need to think about that."

Kid was about to argue, but the door suddenly flew open. Maka ran in, out of breath as if she'd run all the way there.

"Professor Stein, I'm sorry to bother you, but I—" Maka stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Kid's injuries. Her olive green eyes widened to the size of saucers; she could faintly see the shapes of hands from the bruises. Kid self-consciously put his head down and got dressed.

"What is it you wanted, Maka?" Stein asked.

"A remedial class went wrong," Maka said. "They need your help."

"Right," Stein said, stepping out of the room. "I'll get on that."

"What's the problem?" Stein asked as he stepped into the Death Room. Lord Death waved; Spirit nodded. "Maka told me something happened with a remedial class."

"Yeah, of course," Lord Death replied. "No trouble with remedial classes."

"You didn't have to send Maka to my office," Stein said. "I would have come here as soon as I was done with him. Anyway, there's no sign of internal injuries beyond the bruises."

"What bruises?" Spirit asked immediately.

"Well, if you had been paying attention instead of drinking at the Chupa Cabras," Lord Death's voice held a slightly accusing tone as he said this. "You would know that my son got hurt pretty badly this morning and neither of his partners knew."

"He kept it from them?" Spirit asked.

"It's like a child with a new puppy," Lord Death said. "He just wants to keep her. He's actually making progress with her faster than I ever thought possible."

"He doesn't remember a thing, but from the look of those bruises, she does," Stein continued. "He needs to be more careful; she's built to kill, and she wants to kill everything."

"There's one thing I don't understand," Spirit said. "Memory or not, how is it possible to teach her like this? What is he doing right?"

"The same thing we did wrong," Stein said. "We didn't give her endless chances. I just hope Kid will be able to reform her before it's too late."

"Too late?" Spirit asked.

"From what Kid told me about the Diclonius's attacks," Stein continued. "She's afraid and guilty. She will either finish what she started, or…."

"Or?" Lord Death prompted.

"She doesn't know how to ask for forgiveness yet," Stein finished. "If he can't teach her that much, she will end up hurting herself."

"Well?" Kid asked after a moment of silence. "Is there something you want to say to me?"

"Kid, what happened?" Maka whispered. "Those scars… that Diclonius that Blackstar told me about… she attacked you, didn't she?"

"Don't immediately think that, Maka," Kid snarled. Maka tensed and backed up against the wall. Kid took a deep breath and raised his head; grey shadows had appeared underneath his eyes, indicating his lack of sleep. He walked slowly towards Maka, reassuringly, not threateningly. "Flander is learning, I swear. She's just… upset about something that I don't quite understand yet. You have to give us some time."

"I'm sorry, Kid," Maka apologized, putting her head down. "You're right. I know it's hard for you to have to keep her like this, but we're all worried about you. How do you know that this will work?"

"I just… I don't want her to die when it's not her fault."

Flander was in the living room, watching television. A catchy song chimed in the background, signaling the opening of a new episode. On the screen, brightly colored characters danced across sunny hills and grassy meadows. Flander put her hands up to touch her horns curiously as a purple-haired girl with similar horns ran across the monitor.

"Chii…" Flander smiled.

"This one likes Higurashi," she thought. Her ears perked at the sound of an opening door. "This one thinks that one is home."

She got to her feet and peeked around the corner. Kid, Liz, and Patti were just walking in the door. She ran forward and wrapped her arms around Kid.

"Chii!" she squeaked. She pulled away. Her eyes held the faintest hint of false happiness in them.

"Flander, you're talking," Kid said.

"Well… sort of," Liz thought. "As long as Kid's happy with her, I guess it's good. What did she do while we were at school?"

"Chii," she whispered, looking down again.

"What's wrong?" Kid asked.

"Flander is… sorry," she stuttered. "Flander… is… sorry, Nii-nii."

The others froze in place. Patti was the first to react by collapsing against the wall in a fit of giggles.

"Does she actually mean that?" Liz asked incredulously.

"Did she just call me Nii-nii?" Kid twitched.

"HAHAHAHA! Look at the TV!" Patti laughed, pointing into the living room. Kid and Liz craned their necks around Flander to look where Patti had been pointing, and sweat-dropped.

"Higurashi?" Liz thought.

"Well, now we know where she gets her creatively violent spirit," Kid thought. His expression hardened. "Wait a minute… left… right… left… right… left!"

"Uh, Kid, are you okay?" Liz asked.

"It was just my imagination," Kid sighed. "The television is perfectly balanced on the left and right. I'm so relieved."

"That's all you were worried about?" Liz asked. "Ugh, seriously, Kid, will you forget about the TV? Anyway, don't you think we should do something about Flander?" She pointed to the Diclonius, who was literally mesmerized by the colorful magic box.

"You're right," Kid agreed, shaking his head.

"Why don't we teach her how to write?" Patti offered, holding up a pen and paper.

"That's a great idea," Liz said, taking the paper and putting it on the coffee table. Even though they all knew Flander already knew how to write, Liz wanted some peace. She guided her sister and Kid over to it before turning the TV off.

Flander got to her knees, blinking rapidly at the blackness. She shrugged and crawled over to sit next to Kid and the others. Patti giggled and began doodling, and Flander mirrored Kid as he delicately sharpened a pencil. Flander watched him avidly, making similar marks on her own paper as Kid wrote at a pitifully slow pace. They made it all the way to the letter K without much difficulty. Kid erased his K, dissatisfied. Flander did the same.

"No…" Kid sobbed. "It's awful… just awful…. No matter what I do, I can't get the K right…."

"This again?" Liz thought, the corner of her mouth twitching. He began erasing for the thirtieth time, wiping his tears away with the other hand. Although she wasn't crying, Flander dragged her sleeve across her face, too.

"I'm useless garbage. How could my father love me?!" He suddenly threw himself to the ground, covering his face in shame and pounding one fist on the floor. "I'm filthy and dirty! I don't deserve to live anymore!"

"Chii! Chii!" Flander mewed, pounding her fist on the floor as well. Kid sat up, looking at Flander's paper. He got a nosebleed; her handwriting was equal to chicken scratch!

"I can't be defeated by a K, if I am, I will never be able to surpass my father as the next Grim Reaper! I can't even teach a little girl how to write! I'm trash! A-symmetrical trash!" Kid cried, rolling back and forth across the floor.

"Chii! Chii!" Flander whined, rolling around with him.

"So much for peace and quiet," Liz sighed. Patti began laughing and rolling on the ground with them. "Patti, come on! Don't join them in their insanity!"

**Another chapter! Fluttershy *yay*! I'm having a bit of trouble. I'm trying to write this with an Elfen Lied vibe instead of Chobits, but I just can't grasp Lucy (Kaede) as my main muse. I'd like to thank who ever reviewed, you are awesome, and I would give you cookies, but my grandma never makes them, and would you really want some nasty burned cookies that I make? Oh, you would, would you?  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"Flander, we're going over to Maka's for dinner, do you want to come?" Kid asked.

"Yes!" Flander cheeped, raising one hand.

"Seriously, Kid?" Liz asked. "We are not making progress yet."

"We are," Kid insisted. "Flander didn't talk because she didn't trust anybody. If we gain her trust, she'll do what we say again."

"Looks like you have this all figured out," Liz sighed sarcastically. "Are you sure about inviting her to go along with us, though?"

"Didn't I just tell you that we've made enough progress?" Kid fumed.

"I mean her appetite," Liz said. "She could eat a cow."

This made Patti laugh. Flander stared around the room with a blank expression. She looked like she was trying to assume happiness.

Dinner Party From Hell; Are We Making Progress Yet?

"Oh, Kid, I'm glad you're here," Maka greeted, ushering the four inside. She paused when she saw Flander.

"Is something wrong?" Kid asked her.

"Who's this?" she asked uneasily.

"Chii?" Flander whispered, tilting her head.

"This is Flander," Kid replied easily. "She's the most symmetrical weapon in the world."

"Kid," Liz rolled her eyes. "Flander is a Diclonius. She has invisible vectors growing from her back, and we're trying to reform her so that she can develop her own soul."

"Oh, that makes sense," Maka sighed, smiling and closing the door behind her. She made her way past Soul and the others and into the kitchen.

"And you're not worried about that?" Soul muttered after her. "I'm surprised, Maka, but I'm cool with it. Hey Kid, what's up?"

"The usual," Kid replied.

"Come on," Soul argued. "You've got a soulless weapon on your hands. Things have to be more interesting than that."

"She doesn't attack me all the time," Kid said. Blackstar, on the other hand, couldn't stand being ignored.

"Ha! I'd just love to see her try to attack me!" he said. "She's so weak-looking; I'd be surprised if I could get ten minutes out of her."

"I seriously advise against it," Kid argued plainly. "She will kill you without a second thought, but she will kill you with such symmetry…" he tensed. Symmetry… friend… symmetry… friend….

"Um, Blackstar, could you take it outside please?" Maka asked, poking her head around the corner. She already knew there was no stopping him.

"Sure, Maka; your house can't handle how big of a star I am," Blackstar said. He turned to Flander. "How about it, Flander?"

"I will fight you," she said smugly. Her voice wasn't as squeaky as usual. "But I require a meal first."

Liz, Patti, and Kid all backed away quickly.

"Since when do you talk like that?!" Liz demanded.

"Why are you talking to him, of all people?" Kid asked.

"You're voice doesn't sound funny anymore!" Patti squealed.

Flander's eyes seemed to dim considerably, as if the light of her soul was fading away. She turned to them, her hair swaying about her face. "Chii?"

"What was that?" Kid wondered.

"You heard her; we'd better get some food on the table now!" Blackstar said.

"I'M COOKING AS FAST AS I CAN!" Maka yelled angrily.

"Can I have the rest?" Flander asked politely. Her voice was premature again, as if she was herself again. She held her plate forward slightly.

"Sure," Maka said, smiling. She'd completely fallen for the cute little girl. "What do you want the rest of?"

Flander's stomach growled before she seriously replied. "All of it."

"Oh," Maka was taken aback. "Uh… sure?"

Once her request was met, she devoured whatever her vectors could reach. Soul and Blackstar stared in fascination, but soon began rooting for her to eat the rest of it. They were placing their bets and such.

"Whoever said gluttony has it limits should be dragged out to the street and shot," Kid sighed. "I'm sorry about this, Maka; I knew you probably wanted leftovers or something."

"Oh, it's alright, Kid," Maka said, still smiling. "I'm just glad she likes it so much."

"That smile…" Kid thought. "She's really not freaking out about Flander not having a soul?"

"Alright, now that you've had your dinner," Blackstar said, getting to his feet.

"Don't you dare try that!" Kid yelled.

"Kid! The frame is crooked!" Patti called.

"Where?!" he cried, tearing down the hallway. Patti shrugged and followed the others outside.

Soul Eater

"I hear you're invincible," Blackstar yelled. "I'm here to prove you wrong. Get ready, because I'm going to attack you in three seconds!"

He charged at Flander, who grinned and shielded with her vectors. Blackstar flipped to his feet easily, charging from a different direction. He multiplied, each figure darting around her tauntingly. Flander kept composed; her vectors stabbed each of them.

"What did Kid say she was?" Tsubaki asked.

"I don't remember," Blackstar replied. "Who cares? Just so long as we defeat her!"

"I'm bored," Flander thought smugly, deflecting another of his attacks and twirling in a circle.

"That was horrific," Kid muttered, walking out of the house. "Ah, I see she's not tearing him to bits. That's good."

"Oh, hey Kid," Liz greeted.

"What did I miss?"

"Nothing much," Maka replied. "She's just blocking right now."

"She'll get bored eventually," Soul guessed. "Then she'll deal with him quietly."

"Do something, you freak!" Blackstar yelled, frustrated. Flander paused, her eyes turning a brighter shade of pinkish red.

** "You're such a freak!"**

** "You know who isn't human?" I whispered. "You know who isn't human?"**

"PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Flander screamed. Her six vectors stretched out at their maximum length. Blackstar fell to the ground in a cloud of blood. Flander covered her eyes and retreated.

"Blackstar!" Maka screamed, bolting towards the said boy's limp body. Tsubaki was unconscious in her human form as well.

"Blackstar," Soul echoed, running after his partner.

"Is he alright?" Kid asked. Liz and Patti transformed at his sides.

"We'll get him to Stein," Soul said. "Go after Flander!"

Kid nodded and ran down the street with his weapons. He continued running, yet there was no sign of Flander beyond the corner. Kid paused, observing his surroundings frantically. There were two small dents in the pavement; she'd probably used her vectors to jump onto one of the nearby roofs. Kid sighed in defeat. There was no getting to her now.

"Flander!" he called.

"They should be fine," Stein was telling the others. "Flander's attacks caused some internal damage, but they should be fine in the morning. I'm going to keep them here tonight just in case."

"I shouldn't have let her attack him like that," Kid kicked himself mentally. "How could I be so stupid?"

"It's not your fault," Stein said, as if he could read Kid's mind. "Flander has flashbacks. She'll be back before too long."

"Flashbacks?" Maka asked.

"And you didn't tell us before because…?" Liz asked.

"It didn't come up," Stein shrugged, turning the screw in his head. "Anyway, you should all go home now; it's getting late. I assure you, these two are perfectly safe with me."

"Yeah, we really believe that," Soul grumbled.

Stein glanced up when he heard a scratching at his window. He sighed.

"I thought you'd be back soon," he said, opening the window. He went rigid; Flander was embracing her soul side? The Diclonius slipped in through the window and glanced at Blackstar and Tsubaki, who were sleeping on opposite sides of the room. Flander slid to her knees, trembling. How could she lose control like that?

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What was that?" Blackstar muttered, awakening. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Flander?" Tsubaki thought, waking up as well. "What are you doing here?"

Flander looked up through her long pink hair, tears streaming down her face. Blackstar stiffened.

"What's your problem?" he asked. "What are you crying for? Come on, don't feel bad about what happened, okay?"

"Hey," Tsubaki murmured, kneeling next to Flander. "You're really upset about his, huh? Blackstar's right; you shouldn't feel bad. We're fine, we were just surprised is all. Do you understand?"

Flander nodded, her tears melting away like snow. She knew this wasn't what she wanted to do. She didn't want to apologize to these people. There was someone else on her mind.

The next morning, Kid went downstairs to see Flander working in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. Her vectors handled everything, creating a large meal for everyone.

"I didn't think you'd actually cook for us," he praised.

Flander bit her tongue. Why was it so hard? Why didn't he hate her?!

"Hey, Flander, are you okay?"

Flander's vector slipped, sending a knife at Kid's head. He turned, narrowly dodging the blade, and watched it make its way out the window and into a trashcan. A cat yowled loudly. Flander's vectors began wrapping around Kid again, but retreated when he looked back at her.

"Everything's shiny!" she squeaked, smiling at him. 'This is going to kill me….'


	5. Chapter 5

Kid was sound asleep, for not even the self-preservation caused by Flander's constantly watchful eyes could prevent the tiring week from taking its toll on him. However, it didn't feel like Flander was glaring at him anymore. Watching, yes, but she wasn't posing the soulless, hostile glare as before. Kid felt deep comfort around her, as if she were living up to her purpose of protecting him.

Flander held Kid's head in her lap. She stoked his black and white hair gently. She couldn't help herself from humming a lullaby. It was a gentle lullaby that she'd learned when she was first created; Kid's mother would sing it to her whenever she slept. The song was originally lyrical, but Flander couldn't remember the words right now; it had been too long, but that didn't stop her from singing the beautiful, emotional tune in her own way.

"La, la, la, la," she murmured. Her lips curled upward in a sly Cheshire cat grin.

"Finally, a Saturday," Liz sighed, sinking deeper in bed.

"Sis, I don't want to get up," Patti whimpered, curling up tighter under the covers. She'd had a nightmare the night before and had gone to Liz's room to sleep.

"It's alright Patti," Liz whispered. "It's Saturday."

"What do you think Flander will do today?"

Liz sat bolt upright in bed. "Oh, God…."

Kid opened his eyes after he felt the burning sensation of the burning sun on them. He'd been sleeping better since Flander began watching him; he began to realize her defensive reactions. He sat up in bed and looked around for the Diclonius. A glance to his lap revealed that the little girl had curled up and fallen asleep there.

"She's sleeping," He breathed. Careful not to wake her up, he put one hand on her cheek gently. She stirred slightly, opening her pinkish brown eyes with a whimper. "Good morning."

It's Saturday; Can't We Get Some Relaxation Now?

In a dark cave somewhere in the outskirts of Death City, a bright light sparked. The spark became a flame. The flame shaped into a humanoid being. The humanoid being had long pink hair that dragged across the ground and two blood red horns. Her red eyes blazed with hate. She will get revenge… she will have him. She will kill him.

She swayed to her feet, scaring several animals in her wake, and began walking towards the mouth of the cave.

"It's nice to have a day off, don't you think?" Liz said as she painted her nails a light red.

"It has been a busy week," Kid agreed. "I'm glad we're able to relax every once and a while."

"Yeah," Patti agreed.

"Chii?" Flander asked, tilting her head. "No school?"

"No school," Liz confirmed. "Hey, where are you going?"

Flander went up the stairs without a word, heading into one of the many rooms. Inside, she had set up a sort of art studio; a large easel rested in the corner next to the grand window. A small table with several palettes and a vase full of pencils sat to the left of the easel. Several finished and in-progress paintings and sketches were scattered around the room.

"Wow," Patti admired as she took in the room. "Sis, look! I didn't know she could paint!"

"These are beautiful, Flander," Liz agreed, searching a painting of a woman and her dog. Most of the paintings were easily scenes and sights seen from the window, but there were other portraits of Flander's close friends.

"Hey, look, it's Soul!" Patti laughed, pointing at one painting. Indeed, the painting was a dramatization of Maka wielding Soul in his weapon form, his reflection shone off the side of the red and black scythe-blade.

"The symmetry!" Kid exclaimed happily, looking at one painting. He looked a bit closer at the painting; it was a woman in a black and white Gothic Lolita dress. She had long, flowing black hair and deep golden brown eyes.

"That looks kind of like an older gender bend of Kid," Patti observed.

"Flander, who is this?" Kid asked, turning. Flander wasn't paying any attention to him; brushes flew about her in a frenzy, aggressively plastering the fresh canvas with ink and graphite. Kid looked over her shoulder and smiled. She was busy creating an exaggerated character sketch of Kid and his two weapons.

"Chii," Flander chirped, pausing to glance at him. "Symmetry."

"Symmetry is an eight letter word," Kid thought. "She's so cute! So symmetrically cute!"

Flander picked at the edges of the sketch before coloring it in. Despite the original colors being black and white, she also added vibrant golden and red in the black ground, creating a deeper emphasis to the image. She stood back, wiping a drop of ink from her cheek and admiring her handy work.

Kid took his time inspecting the painting; it was indeed symmetrical. Once he was satisfied, Flander lead him away to the music room, where she showed him the newest piano piece she'd learned. Liz and Patti busied themselves moving the strange painting with the mystery woman into the living room, hanging it above the fireplace.

Soul Eater

"I think it's a picture of my mother," Kid said after staring at the picture. His weapons looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked.

"I've only seen pictures of her once or twice, but I think that's her," Kid said. "That's who you were sketching, huh, Flander? I forgot you were created before she died."

"Kid…" Flander whispered. "I'm… I'm so…." She bolted out of the house, snatching some scissors from an organizer in the kitchen.

"Flander, wait!" Kid said. "Where are you going with those scissors?"

Flander stood still for a moment in the front lawn, looking at the blue-handled scissors in her hand. Without another moment's hesitation, she put the two points on either side of her throat, and closed it with a metallic clip. Kid ran outside and stood next to her.

"Flander, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously, taking in the figure slumped on the ground. Flander turned her head and got to her feet; her hair was unevenly cut to her chin. Kid looked at her in confused disgust. "Flander…."

"Do you remember me now?!" she cried, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Flander is sorry. Please remember, Kid; I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Flander, what are you talking about?" Kid asked.

"What is she so upset about?" Liz asked, joining them with her little sister.

"I'm not sure," Kid replied. He turned back to Flander and put a hand on her head. Her choppy hair was surprisingly fluffy under his hand. "I've never seen you like this."

"Please remember, Kid!" Flander whimpered. "Please don't cry, Kid."

"Flander, I'm not crying," Kid said, bewildered.

The memory of the child's face flashed in Flander's mind. Tears were streaming down his face, which was contorted in sadness and pain. Flander cringed, putting her hands against her skull. Kid wrapped his arms around her and drew her close.

"Hush, Flander," he whispered. "It's okay, you don't need to worry. I forgive you. We all forgive you, Flander."

"Chii," Flander whispered, putting her face in Kid's shoulder. She let crystalline tears roll down her face.

It felt like they were standing there for hours before Flander pulled away. She bolted down the concrete path towards the road. He didn't understand a thing. Kid watched after her in dismay; he wanted so badly to help her.

The red-horned Diclonius walked with determination. It knew exactly where it was going; it headed straight for the stone walls of Death City without faltering. The uneven ground cut into the humanoid's bare feet, but the blazing sun had no purchase on her eternally white skin.

Blood began to drip from her red horns. Blood of all that she hated. The blood of all whom she killed. She will add him to her list. She will drink his blood and feel his skin grow cold. Soon enough. Yes… very soon. She wanted to taste him.

She grows tired of her own flesh. Her own blood. The copycat Diclonius put her arm up to her mouth and bit down into the soft flesh hard. After a sickening squelching sound, blood and hot pink flesh was exposed for the hungry Diclonius to consume.

** Okay, I realize that that last bit was a bit extreme. I'm sorry to all of you eating sandwiches and cookies; I know I've ruined it for you. Other than that, how did you like it? Good? Bad? Questions? Corrections? Please leave a REVIEW with anything you want to say.**


	6. Chapter 6

Her red horns symbolized the only emotion the Diclonius could feel. Hate. They say that nothing can feel emotion without a soul, but that's not necessarily true. A soulless creature can choose one feeling and one only to feel and live in. This one chooses hate because the other one chose remorse. This one hated him.

She will end him like she will end everyone else.

Death the Kid.

She would kill him slowly. She would like to hear his screams of fear and pain as he begs her to stop torturing him. 'No more, stop it!' The Diclonius grinned; how should she do it? First, she would drive nails through his fingers, then she might stab him for a while… oh, the sweet blood. She would have her meal very soon. The night was drawing near. She will consume his blood and tear his soul to pieces.

Red

Red

Red

Red

Red

Sweet Red

Flander's Secret Revealed; Will Kid Be Forgiving?

Flander didn't come back. Kid was beginning to get worried.

"I don't know where she went," Kid was telling the others at school one day.

"I haven't seen her around," Blackstar informed.

Kid nodded in acknowledgement. "How about you, Maka? She likes you."

"No, I'm sorry, Kid," Maka shook her head.

"You say she cut her hair?" Soul asked. "That's not like her."

"She seemed really upset before she left," Liz added. "She wanted Kid to remember something. It was probably from before…."

"We can help you look after school," Tsubaki offered.

"No, that's alright," Kid sighed, disappointed in his fruitless inquiry. "It's probably best to leave her alone."

The others were puzzled at his solution, but went with it.

After school, Liz and Patti went over to Maka's to hang out with the other girls, and Kid went home. He opened the door to the empty mansion and left his schoolbag in the foyer. He just wanted to lie down on the couch, prostrate with grief, for a while. However, he paused in the doorway.

A figure was already seated on one of the couches. He wore a black jacket. He had black hair with three white stripes circling it. His eyes were a bright golden color. Kid was surprised; it had been a while since he saw his father in human form. The figure turned to him and smiled.

"Hello, son," he greeted.

"It's been a while," Kid responded. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Lord Death replied. "I just wanted to tell you something."

"Well, I'm listening," Kid volunteered, moving to stand in front of him.

"Kid," Lord Death began. His golden eyes held a distant expression of pain and sadness that could only be fathomed in person. "Flander is the Diclonius that killed your mother."

Kid froze, his golden eyes glistening. The room wasn't symmetrical anymore; the paintings tilted at a dangerous angle. Kid sank to his hands and knees. It was all true, he knew it. Flander was apologizing endlessly because of something she did… something that Kid couldn't remember. Kid felt himself being cradled and lifted off of the ground. He looked up to see his dad's unfathomable eyes staring into his.

"Why?" he thought, burying his face in his father's jacket. Tears began streaming down his face, and he was shaking from the sobs that racked his thin frame.

"She was sorry," Kid whimpered. "She was sorry and I couldn't…."

"It's alright, Kid. It's in no way your fault."

"But I couldn't forgive her for something like that!" Kid wailed. "I just… Flander…."] "I don't know what happened," Lord Death continued quietly. "Flander was killing at random. I came home one day, and she was dead. Flander was about to go after you, but something about your helpless crying form stopped her. She just wanted to protect you at first, but it soon went horribly wrong. I've learned my lesson about that."

"What do we do?" Kid sniffled. "You were right; it's impossible to create a soul."

"No, Kid," Lord Death said firmly. "You've made more progress with her than I ever thought possible."

Kid sighed silently, closing his eyes. Maybe Lord Death was right. Before he could think about it more, he collapsed into a deep sleep. Lord Death let a small smile play on his lips as he carried Kid to his room. There was one last thing Kid heard before his father disappeared.

"She's been in the dark room for a few days now. She'll be out when she's ready."

"Kid, we're home," Liz said. "Are you in bed already?"


	7. Chapter 7

Maka let out another blood-curdling scream. Soul put his hand on her shoulder frantically, trying to calm her.

Flander's Alter-Ego; Will the Diclonius Face Herself?

"Maka, what is it?" he asked. "What's the matter with you?"

"It hurts," she gasped, sinking to the ground and wrapping her arms around herself. "Soul, it's a Keshen! You have to get out of here!"

Soul went rigid. Whatever she felt, she couldn't fight it like this. Soul had to get her out of there quickly, and if he was lucky, he'd be able to get her to Stein. However, the thought of leaving a Keshen to run wild wasn't particularly safe or appealing.

To Soul's luck, Kid and his two weapons just turned the corner. They had apparently heard Maka's screams and ran to help. Kid hesitated at the sight of Maka curled up helplessly on the ground.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Soul replied. "It's her Soul Perception. She feels something coming, but the energy is too powerful for her. She can't fight it."

"We'll cover for you," Kid suggested firmly, gesturing to his partners to transform. "Get Maka away from here; we'll handle this."

Soul nodded gratefully to his friend before picking his Meister up off the ground and running in the direction of the Academy. Maka screamed again, clutching at her chest and neck as if to stop the unbearable pain. The intense hate that she felt emanating from the Keshen's soul was drawing closer. Soul held onto her tighter; he hated seeing her in such a helpless state.

"Soul!" Maka cried, clawing at her neck.

"Stop it, Maka!" Soul yelled, prying her hands away. "You can't do this! Just hang on, I'm getting you to safety."

Once he reached the DWMA, Maka still wasn't any calmer. She was still frantic and confused. Soul bolted towards Stein's office and ran in with haste without knocking. Stein looked up from the legal files he was straightening in his desk.

"Oh, my," he mumbled. "What's happened?"

"It's her Soul Perception," Soul spoke quickly and laid Maka down on the bed. /the girl clung to his jacket in fear of him leaving her. "Can you help her?"

"I feel it too," Stein said, rummaging in a drawer for something. "I simply focus my attention on something else, but I understand that Maka isn't able to do this yet. I can sedate her until the problem is taken care of."

He brought a syringe filled with clear liquid out of the drawer and stabbed it gently into Maka's arm. Maka twitched and whimpered; everything she felt hurt right then. Soul put on hand over hers.

"It's okay, Maka," he said. "I'll keep you safe."

Maka stared at him through her tears. Several memories of all the times Soul had saved her life flashed in her mind. Her face relaxed into a soft smile.

"I know you will," she understood before falling asleep.

Liz and Patti transformed into their weapon forms and waited for the Keshen. Kid tensed; he apparently felt the creature coming before they did.

"Kid, are you sure you can handle this?" Liz asked seriously. Kid had been a little out of it since that afternoon.

"I'm fine, Liz," Kid whispered. He was staring intently into one of the dark alleyways that created many possible escapes and entrances for the supposedly advancing Keshen. Liz and Patti were silent as well, and they heard the sound of soft footsteps. Barefoot, and light; fitting for the scrawny, mangled figure that stepped out of the darkness.

"Flander," Kid thought, almost dropping his weapons. He stopped himself; her hair was draping across the ground again, and her horns… her horns!

"Her horns are dripping with blood!" Liz cried. "What has she been doing?!"

"That's not Flander," Kid snarled, raising his weaponries to take aim. Before he could shoot, two vectors reached forward and slashed the silver pistols out of his hands. The next thing he saw, Liz and Patti were in their human forms again, unconscious.

"Liz! Patti!" Kid called, about to run towards them, but a vector held him back.

"This is our secret," the Diclonius growled. "You tell anyone about this and I'll rip your tongue out."

Kid flinched as he took in the expression of his opponent. Hate marked her features prominently, and it was probably that hate that had driven Maka away.

"Who are you?" he asked. The Diclonius snarled and lashed out at him with her vectors. Her vectors went through his skin without leaving a scathe, but tore at his internal organs. Kid arched backwards, screaming in pain.

"Oh, how pathetic," she murmured. Her vectors shifted, suspending Kid against a wall. She got closer to him, and he gritted his teeth. "I'm looking forward to our time together, Death the Kid. I will torture you until you scream your heart out, and then I will tear your soul to pieces. Do you know why?"

"Where's Flander?" he demanded.

"I hate you," she cut him off. "I'm the embodiment of Flander's hate that she can no longer handle. She recreated herself so that she may pass on the duty to kill you to someone else. I wanted to make her watch, but the coward ran off."

"No," Kid whispered, his eyes widening. He was helpless; he had no weapons, so he had absolutely no advantage over this all-powerful weapon. Flander had abandoned him because she couldn't face herself? Kid realized that he was going to die.

He wasn't sure what she was doing to him, but he felt an intense pain flare throughout his body. He tried to contain his screams, to no avail; he let out a wild cry of agony. The Diclonius laughed sadistically, but another weapon interfered with her plans. Flander ran into the clearing, sending her vectors darting around her hate-filled counterpart. The opposite Diclonius collapsed against another wall, but staggered to her feet.

The battle began as frenzied vectors grappled mercilessly with each other. All that could be comprehended was the spontaneous spurts of blood and one of Flander's black goat horns being chipped off of her head. Flander screamed in pain and rage and charged at the other, tearing the other's vectors out.

"You're really going to kill me?" the hate-filled Diclonius asked. "Bury me in the ground? How's that for karma? I will always come back to you. I will always be within you, waiting to kill all that you now love, Experiment D."

Flander was through with the chatter; she didn't hesitate to kill the Keshen of herself. The Diclonius gave a final shriek as she evaporated in a twister of black haze. A single red soul was left; Flander reached forward and took it in her hand.

"I won't bury you," she seethed. "You are a part of me, and I shall accept you."

With that being said, she bit into the soul and ate it.

On the contrasting side of the street, Kid was on the ground, staring at Flander in horror. Flashbacks began to consume him. He remembered his mother's screams just before she died. The blood splattering across everything….

Flander turned to him. She knew how to make him feel better; whilst she was sulking in the dark room, she'd remembered the words to the lullaby. It was in Latin, so it made sense why she forgot so easily. She began singing quietly, making Kid relax once again.

"Os iusti, meditabitur sapientiam, Et lingua eius loquetur indicium, Beatus vir qui suffer tentationem, Quoniam cum probates feurit accipient coronam vitae, Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison, quam benigma, quam amoena esse Virgo creditor, O quam sancta, quam serena, quam benigma, quam amoena, O castitalius Lilium."

Kid would have praised her for remembering, but he curled up on the pavement in obvious pain, cupping both hands over his mouth. Before he could stop himself, he coughed up blood. Flander stiffened and lunged toward him. She wrapped several of her vectors around him, lifting him up off the ground. Flander glanced at Liz and Patti, who nodded to her.

"Get him to Stein," Liz commanded. "We're fine, just go!"

Flander scoffed, for they observably weren't fine. Patti was still cataleptic. It was apparent that the Diclonius's vectors had caused more damaged that anticipated. Flander put Kid in her arms and wrapped her vectors around Liz and Patti, bringing them along behind her as she sprinted across the city. In her arms, Kid began shuddering. Flander bit back some tears of remorse. He had been hurt because of her.

Maka awoke some hours after she had been sedated. She saw Soul standing beside her protectively and smiled. Soul looked down at her and sighed.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Did Kid take care of it?" Maka asked.

"Flander ran out when she heard what was happening," Stein said, giving them a reassuring motion in the form of a peace sign. "The Keshen is, without a doubt, taken care of."

"Oh, good," Maka sighed. "I'm sorry for being such trouble before. I never meant for it to happen like that."

"It's not your fault, Maka," Stein continued. "I'm just glad you were able to feel it before it got too close to you. Anyway, it's getting late; you two should be getting home soon."

Soul nodded and helped Maka to her feet. She swayed slightly, but was able to stand straight with Soul's help. They made their way out the door, but just before they left, Flander rushed into the room in a frenzy. She was covered in blood, and Kid was unconscious in her arms. Maka gasped in shaken surprise.

"Kid!" she cried, impulsively reaching one hand out. Soul pulled her away from the room instinctively; his partner had had such a traumatizing day already.

"Maka, come on," he insisted, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting way. Maka leaned into him; she didn't have the energy to fight, even if her friend was in danger.

"Can you save him?!" Flander squeaked. Stein straightened his glasses.

"I can try," he replied. "It's a tricky thing to correct; you'll have to be patient. Now, I need my bag…."

Flander reached out with her vectors and shoved the black and grey-patched bag into his hands before he could waste any precious time. Stein nodded and got to work. He'd always wanted to operate on Kid, out of curiosity, of course, but the watchful protection of Flander kept him from doing anything out of his way.

Liz and Patti were sitting outside the door and against the wall. Patti was curled up in her sister's arms, shaking violently. Liz tried to comfort her, but she was trembling too. Maka and Soul paused in front of them.

"It was another Diclonius," Liz whispered unsteadily. "She nearly killed Kid. He has internal bleeding!"

Maka gasped and knelt next to them, Soul following. Maka put her arm around Patti comfortingly.

"Sis, what do we do if Kid dies?!" Patti wailed.

"Shh, Patti, that won't…" Liz's voice faded away. It could happen. Kid was the only person they had ever known to accept them. They didn't want him to die. What would Flander do?

"That will not happen," Maka said confidently.

"How do you know?" Patti sniffled, looking up at her friend. Her expression was that of an abused puppy, and it made Maka's heart break to shards.

"Because I know Flander would have gotten there in time to prevent it," Maka said. "She would never let Kid die, and she would never let you two live alone."

**How do you like it? Maka is the first one that realized it, but Flander's new unselfishness doesn't only pertain to Kid, but also the others. Please REVIEW, my minions.**

** TO MINIONS WHO HAVE REVIEWED: Thank you so much. Here is an Internet Cadbury Egg; Happy Easter! :DDDD**


	8. Chapter 8

Flander stared at Kid's limp body. Stein had just finished with him, and she actually felt relieved that he was okay. Stein watched her from across the bed, confused. He'd never created the creature to feel emotion; that was the entire point of her soulless existence. However, the Diclonius surely felt now that she had acquired and created her own soul. But still… the look on her face shouldn't be there.

Stein tried to place the emotion written on Flander's face. He gasped, dropping his pencil. Could it really be… love?

Kid's Recovery; Will Flander Ever Feel Joy?

Stein walked out of his office. He wasn't surprised when he saw Liz and Patti curled up by his door, asleep. However, he was startled by the somewhat lengthy extension. Maka had her head on Soul's shoulder, Soul was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Blackstar was in a similar pose beside him, and Tsubaki was collapsed in Blackstar's lap.

"Um… what are you all doing here?" Stein asked, startling Liz.

Liz sat upright, throwing Patti off of her, Patti bumped into Maka, who slid into Soul's lap, Soul retracted impulsively, accidently kicking Maka and punching Blackstar, who came to with a jerk, and Tsubaki fell to the floor rather hard.

"Owwww," they all chorused.

"How is he?" Liz demanded.

"The surgery was a complete success," Stein said. "He's resting now. I want to keep him here for the next couple of days, just in case. Why didn't you all just go home or something?"

"We could never leave Kid when we knew he was in that condition," Liz explained hastily.

"I knew it was partially my fault for leaving him to fight by himself," Maka added.

"I understand that, but where did Blackstar and Tsubaki come from?"

"Once I heard that one of my friends was in danger, I had to come," Blackstar said.

"Well go home," Stein grumbled. "Flander doesn't want anyone to watch him."

"She's being overprotective again, huh?" Maka guessed. Stein nodded grimly.

"You can see him in the morning when he wakes up. Right now, I have to speak with Lord Death."

"Kid," Flander sobbed. She was curled in the corner with her head on her knees. "It's all my fault."

A figure knelt beside her, making her jerk upright with a start. She was slightly disgusted to see the Death Scythe himself sitting a few feet in front of her. He held out a small white paper bag, and she gave him a skeptical look.

"It's alright," he murmured. "Take it."

Flander reached forward hesitantly and took the bag. Peering inside, she saw the delightful surprise of several strips of beef jerky—her favorite snack food. She cautiously took one strip out of the bag and took a bite. It was nice and fresh, and it tasted good. Flander began consuming the meat as greedily as she consumed anything. Spirit laughed, making her look up again.

"I forgot how cute you were," he said.

"Kid will be fine," Stein told Lord Death. "His internal injuries could have been a lot worse, had it not been for Flander."

"I'm glad," Lord Death cheered. "I hear Flander now has a soul of her own?" he guessed, tilting his head. "How is that coming?"

"You're going to be surprised," Stein warned.

"Oh?"

"I am able to say that the Diclonius Flander now feels love for your son."

Lord Death went rigid. "Summon Death Scythe."

"Okay," Stein said, turning around and walking out of the room. He found Spirit in the nurse's office kneeling next to Flander, watching her like a child would watch television. "Get away from that Diclonius."

Spirit squealed and obediently pulled away.

"Lord Death wants to see you for something," he explained plainly. Spirit nodded rapidly and went to the Death Room, more or less, in a good mood. His mood was spoiled, however, when he was greeted with a furious Reaper Chop.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Why did you let Flander out of that room?"

"Are you making this my fault?!" Spirit whined.

"You were supposed to be watching her. What happened then?"

"She said she felt another Diclonius coming and said she had to protect Kid!" Spirit explained in a panicked rush. He kind of expected to be hit again, but the other digressed.

"So it is true," the Grim Reaper sighed. "I always feared for whomever protected Kid that they would instantly love him. While Flander didn't have to be without a soul, I never thought she would fall in love with him like this."

"Isn't that a good thing, though?" Spirit asked. "Flander now has a soul that is fully functional. She can live like a normal being now, can't she?"

"Not yet. She's only showed emotion that causes pain for herself and others; we need to know if she can feel more positive emotions before we can say that."

Soul Eater

When Kid awoke the next day, all of his friends were gathered around his bed.

"Kid, how are you feeling?" Maka asked.

"Fine, I guess," he replied, sitting up slowly. He was careful not to pull the stitches across his stomach. "Where's Flander?"

"Chii, I'm here, Kid," Flander replied in her high-pitched voice. She stepped up to his side faithfully, hanging her head in slight remorse. Kid gasped and straightened sharply, forgetting the stitches, and cupped Flander's head in his hands.

"Flander, you're horns!" he gasped.

"I'm sorry, Kid, I know!" she looked like she was about to cry. "I know I'm not symmetrical anymore."

"Who cares about that?! You're hurt!"

The room fell silent. Did Kid just dismiss his obsession of symmetry? And for what… his friend's injury? Well, he'd never complained about injuries not being symmetrical (not anyone else's, anyway), so it made sense.

"I…" Flander quietly broke the silence. She pulled Kid's hands down. "I'm fine, Kid. Flander's horns grow back."

Kid nodded and slid back into bed serenely. Everything was okay. Flander was back home now; Maka wasn't dead, and Liz and Patti were safe. The other Diclonius was dead, but has Flander honestly gotten over her laments?

"So, what happened?" Kid asked, turning to the others. "How long were you two out in the hallway?"

"Most of the night," Liz replied. "Soul, Maka, Blackstar, and Tsubaki stayed too."

"You didn't have to go through all that trouble," Kid complained, blushing and looking away.

"Yes, we did," Maka insisted. "We're your friends, Kid. Besides, Flander stayed by your side all night."

"She's not sleeping again," Kid thought to himself with horror.

"Hey, Kid, are you okay?" Liz asked, noticing his increasing paleness.

"Fine," he lied, waving it off. "I'm just tired."

"We should go," Maka advised quietly, pulling her partner out of the room. Blackstar followed. Liz, Patti, and, of course, Flander, lingered.

"We'll stop by after class with some books for you," Liz suggested.

"I want you two to take Flander home," Kid said. They all gasped.

"No!" Flander cried. Like a child, she clenched her fists and held them in front of her. "No, Kid! I can't leave you!"

"Flan, honey," Kid reasoned, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I think it's best if you go home and get some rest. It's been-"

"No," she whispered, tears welling up at the corner of her eyes. "Kid, you don't hate me, do you?! Please don't hate me! I'll do whatever you want, you'll see! I'm going to go home and everything will be symmetrical when you get back!"

She ran out of the room before giving Kid a chance to respond. Kid reached after her feebly, but Liz held him down.

"Oh, no, you don't," she hissed. "You will stay here in bed. We'll take good care of Flander, you don't have to worry."

"I'm worried," Kid said, trembling in panic. "I'm worried, I'm worried, I'm so worried."

"Don't be!" Liz sighed. "I told you we'd take care of her!"

"What was that about?" Soul asked Liz and Patti as they finally left class.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked. Behind her, Patti was overcome with laughing and talking to random people.

"You know, why did Flander go running off like that?" Soul asked. Noticing Liz's suddenly uncomfortable face, he tried to assume casualness as he leaned back and said, "I don't really care that much. It just looked like something was bothering her."

"Well, actually..." Liz glanced at the others, who had gathered around her. "Can we talk about this in a more private place?"

Soul was puzzled, but nodded cautiously.

"Whoa," Blackstar sighed after Liz and Patti told them.

"So it was Kid's mom?" Maka gasped.

"That's insane," Soul said in a believing tone of voice.

"Kid's kind of torn up about it," Patti informed them.

"Who wouldn't be?" Soul asked rhetorically.

"But he doesn't hate Flander," Liz said. "He's all she has, but when he told her to go home, she thought he wanted to get rid of her."

"Poor Flander," Maka thought. "You'll tell her we all understand, right?"

Flander stared at the picture she'd painted of Kid's mother. Why? She knew why. But it still wasn't fair; everyone hated her since she'd killed her, and Kid was the only one who'd given her a chance. Now he knew. She knew he had to figure it out some time, and now she was completely alone. She couldn't live with a soul if no one cared about her anymore. In fact, maybe she could become a Keshen. At least then they could kill her for good.

Flander didn't know how long she'd been lying there on the ground, but she too soon heard the footsteps of her other housemates.

"Flander? Are you in here?" Liz called, turning the corner. She knelt beside Flander and put a hand on her shoulder. "There you are. Hey, are you feeling alright?" Flander curled up, sobbing quietly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"He hates me," she whispered. Liz softened considerably.

"Flander, I know what you did," Liz informed her. Flander flinched, but Liz merely began stroking her hair soothingly. "I know what happened Flander, and i understand. We all do. Even Lord Death."

Flander gasped and raised her head.

"Don't feel bad, okay?" Liz brought her forward in a hug. Flander was tense at first, but then she melted into Liz's embrace in a wave of sobs. Liz held her for a moment, rubbing soothing circles on her back. It was clear Flander had never had this kind of contact with anyone before. "I'm sure Kid will tell you the same thing when he comes home in the next few days."

**Hmm. Is Liz right? Does Kid really not hate her? IDK, that seemed like a stupid question. Anyway, I'm sorry it's taking so long for me to upload; i've been planning for my Homeschool Prom (It's gonna be a Vocaloid Rave), so yeah.**

**IF you know of any good Vocaloid Rave songs, please let me know in a Personal Message, thanks! =^.^=**


	9. Chapter 9

"Liz," Flander whispered in the darkness. Liz groaned and opened her eyes. She'd been sleeping peacefully that night, but she was timidly interrupted by the Diclonius who was leaning over the bed. She was in her frilly pink nightdress, clutching a small teddy bear that Patti had given her. Liz sat up.

"Still not sleeping?" Liz rasped, her voice thick with sleep. Flander nodded and held her bear closer. Liz sighed and slid to the opposite side of the bed invitingly. Flander crawled into bed next to her.

"I'm scared," Flander whispered after a moment.

"Hush," Liz murmured, rubbing her back. "Kid will be home tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about." Why did it feel like it was the hundredth time explaining this?

Kid's Return; Are You Happy NOW?

"How have things been with Flander?" Kid asked as he rode in the back seat of a taxi with Liz and Patti. Flander had stayed home to make sure everything was in perfect order.

"She's not sleeping," Liz admitted.

"What?" Kid was still surprised about that.

"Or eating," Patti added solemnly.

"She was obsessed with making you happy at first," Liz said. "But… she's changed somehow. I just hope she'll be okay when we get home."

They'd all suspected the worse. Would she try to commit suicide again? Would she go on a killing spree? However, when they got home, she was watching Higurashi. Flander immediately jumped to her feet and ran to Kid. Kid accepted her hug happily; he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her.

"I'm so glad you're home, Nii-nii," she said happily, her voice was a little less premature as when she had begun speaking. "Flander is… happy." She pulled away, smiling from ear to ear. Kid was so relieved. What would he have done with himself if he had failed?

"Come on," Liz said, pulling Kid up the stairs. "Professor Stein said you needed another day or so on bed rest, so do it!"

Kid made a face; it was clear he didn't want to spend any more days in bed. Patti began laughing as Liz tried helping Kid up the staircase. After two steps, Flander took over and simply carried Kid to bed with her vectors.

No matter how much Kid wanted to deny it, he was tired, and he slept for hours. He hadn't had as much easy rest as he wanted under Stein's watchful eye. There's no telling when that man will turn around and dissect you.

When Kid did awaken, it was late at night and everyone was in bed. He couldn't keep himself in bed any longer and slid out from under the covers, stepping out of the room and into the hallway. It was dark in the house, but the hallways were dimly lit by the bright moon outside the many large windows. Kid picked his way precariously to Flander's room and walked past the open door.

He leaned over Flander's limp form. She was in a deep sleep, her face serene. The horn that had been torn off was growing back rapidly; it now formed a point slightly smaller than her other one. Kid sighed. She was okay. He was sure of it now; he really loved Flander like he loved Liz and Patti. He was oddly… reassured by that fact.

"Kid, what are you doing out of bed?" Liz whispered from the door. Kid looked up.

"I just wanted to check on her," he replied, glancing back at Flander. "She's such a good liar, so I wasn't sure…."

"I understand," Liz nodded and moved closer to him. "That's why I came to check on you."

"Why?" Kid demanded. "Why did she do all this?"

"She was sick, Kid," Liz said, putting her hands on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to calm him down. "She didn't understand."

Kid digressed with a sigh. He didn't dare argue with her logic, and instead turned to Flander once more. "I know she didn't."

Kid's tone changed drastically. "Liz, I'm suddenly so… tired." He collapsed into her wearily. Liz gratefully supported his weigh and began half-dragging him back to bed.

"What am I going to do with you?" Liz sighed.

Soul Eater

"How are you feeling today, Kid?" Liz asked as Kid walked down the stairs for breakfast the next morning. Kid smiled at her.

"Much better," he said. "What's for breakfast?"

"Flander had insisted that she make breakfast today, but she's not down yet, so I made waffles," Liz replied.

"That's alright," Kid said, sitting at the table. "But it's not like Flander to skip out on something she's insisted on doing. I wonder if anything's wrong."

"She hasn't been out all morning," Patti said.

"Yeah, Patti, why don't you go wake her up?" Liz suggested. Patti nodded over-zealously and ran upstairs. A few seconds later, a loud crash sounded through the house and Liz and Kid rushed upstairs. Patti was in the doorway, staring into Flander's bedroom with horror. Everything was a mess. Paintings were crooked, vases and such were broken, scattering their contents about the room, but the most horrifying thing was Flander herself. She was in her room, but she was only halfway out of bed, hovering slightly by the angle of her vectors. Her eyes were blank as if she were still asleep.

"Flan, what's wrong?" Kid asked immediately. Flander turned her head to face him before her vectors retracted and she slumped to the ground. Kid dove forward and put one arm around her. "You're burning up. Liz, call Professor Stein; I think Flander's sick."

Kid and Patti put the limp Diclonius back in bed and tucked her in. Kid put a hand on her forehead carefully. If he frightened her, she would react impulsively. She was a light shade of pink, and breathing heavily.

"What do we do, Kid?" Patti whispered desperately. It was possible to hear her sister's stressed voice engaged in a serious phone call.

"I'm not sure," Kid admitted. "We need to do something to get that fever down."

Flander twitched half-consciously.

"We need to do something to get her fever down," Stein was explaining. Flander was in a dark room, a woman dressed in black at her side. "It's just a common sickness. Although Experiment D was created to have an A-plus immune system, she may be overworked. Just give her some medicine and bed rest and she should be on her feet soon."

"What if anything happens?" the woman asked with concern.

"Like what?"

"Her vectors have been acting up all day. I'm worried for Kid's safety."

"I highly doubt that she would kill him," Stein continued. "Her vectors were programmed with a specialized identification feature. Unless she duplicates herself, Kid could never be hurt by her."

The woman nodded and Stein stepped out of the room. Experiment D closed her eyes and fell asleep for the tenth time. She'd collapsed the night before with a fever and desire to die. Whenever she fell asleep, she was plagued with awful nightmares of Keshens and murder and not being able to reach her family in time. She always awoke in a cold sweat, although she never felt fear. Handprints covered the walls and furniture.

"Flander…."

"Wait a minute," Experiment D thought. "Who's Flander?"

"Flander, please wake up," Stein said.

Flander opened her eyes with a start. She blinked once and turned to Stein, who was kneeling at her bedside. She sighed and relaxed.

"She has a fever of one hundred five degrees," Stein informed Kid, Liz, and Patti. "It may sound intense, but she has a strong physical health. She should overcome it soon enough. Kid, you can stay with her if you need to, but I don't want Liz or Patti in this room, do you understand?"

"Wait…" Flander mumbled. Stein turned to her with a puzzled expression. "I want Liz and Patti to stay with me… too…."

"You know why you can't do that, Flander," Stein argued. "It's too dangerous. You can see them when you wake up."

Flander sighed. She really didn't have the energy to argue with him about it. Besides, what if something did go wrong and she attacked them? She closed her eyes and melted into the covers.

"Is D going to be okay?" Kid asked in his babyish voice. The woman in black nodded to him from where they were in the doorway.

"She's really sick," the woman admitted. "But she'll heal just like you do. For now, let's be quiet and leave her alone."

Kid nodded and disappeared from the Diclonius's view. Experiment D sat up in shock. He just left her.

"Don't you even think about leaving this bed," the woman started firmly, but still softly. "You may be superhuman, but you need your rest. I can keep Kid safe today."

The Diclonius didn't understand. Why couldn't she keep Kid with her? Why couldn't he stay? She'd fallen for him even though she had no soul; it was just the way Stein had created her. He only meant it for good, not complications.

_** She's still alive.**_

She was the only thing keeping D from Kid. Experiment D got to her feet and staggered weakly out of the room. Kid… she wanted Kid…. She found the two of them in the living room.

"D," the woman said, getting to her feet. "Is something wrong? Please, you need to rest."

_** She's still alive.**_

D was overcome with hate. She bent her vectors forward dangerously. The woman collapsed in a pool of her own blood, screaming in pain. Kid watched, trembling in horror as his mother was torn to pieces before his eyes. D turned to him, smiling, covered in blood.

"Kid," she murmured. "I'm here now…."

"D…" he whispered. Tears rained down his face. "NO MORE, STOP IT! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it, stop it… stop it… stop it…."

"Flander, stop it," Kid said, shaking the other. Flander moaned and opened her eyes. Kid sighed. "You were thrashing," he explained. "I didn't want you to hurt yourself."

Flander smiled at him… maybe one day.

** Well, all Flander's secrets are revealed. So, this is the end of the story. I might come back and add some Kira chapters, but for now, the plot is over. This has been a Wolf no Naku Koro ni fanfiction, thank you for reading and/or reviewing! Please look out for my other fanfictions!**


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